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Former Laurel Police Chief David Crawford Sentenced to 55 Years in Montgomery County Arsons

The guilty plea secures a cumulative punishment of two life terms plus 75 years when combined with his 2023 Howard County convictions.

Overview

  • Crawford, 74, pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree arson and one count of second-degree arson in Montgomery County.
  • A judge imposed a 55-year term that prosecutors say adds to earlier penalties for an executable sentence of two life terms plus 75 years.
  • Prosecutors said he targeted people he believed had wronged him, including setting fires at his stepson's Clarksburg home in 2016, 2017 and 2020.
  • Investigators tied cases together after a 2020 blaze and later found a target list in a 2021 search, with surveillance video showing a gasoline-fueled pattern.
  • Defense counsel plans to appeal the Montgomery County sentence, while victims and prosecutors described severe, lasting harm from the arsons.